How I Replaced My MacBook Pro Battery for Under $50

My 2018 MacBook Pro 15-inch was dying. Not in the dramatic, screen-flickering way. In the slow, humiliating way where it can't make it through a two-hour meeting without reaching for a charger. The battery health had dropped below 70%, macOS was throwing up service warnings, and the whole machine felt like it was apologizing every time I unplugged it.

This is a laptop I genuinely love. The keyboard (yes, butterfly and all, I know) never gave me trouble, the display is still gorgeous, and for everything I throw at it, the i7 keeps up fine. Recycling it because the battery wore out felt wrong.

So I replaced the battery myself. It cost under $50, took about 45 minutes, and the result honestly surprised me. The laptop feels new again. Not "pretty good for its age" new. Actually new.

Here's exactly how I did it.

Before You Start: Is DIY Right for Your Situation?

Let me be honest about when you should not do this.

Go to Apple (or an authorized repair shop) if:

• Your battery is visibly swollen. If the trackpad feels raised or the bottom case is bulging, that's a swollen lithium cell. Don't mess with it. Bring it to a professional who can handle it safely.
• There's been liquid damage. Corrosion on the logic board can cause problems that outlast any new battery.
• You're not comfortable working slowly and carefully around delicate ribbon cables. There's no shame in paying someone to do it.

DIY makes sense if:

• Your battery has simply worn out from age and use (the most common scenario).
• You're comfortable following instructions and working with small screws.
• Your MacBook Pro is out of warranty anyway (Apple charges $199+ for battery replacement on these models).

Good? Let's go.

What You'll Need

The aftermarket battery kit for the MacBook Pro A1990 (compatible with 2018 and 2019 15-inch models) is what I used. It came with the battery itself plus every tool needed for the job: pentalobe screwdriver, tri-point screwdriver, spudger, and even adhesive remover. The fact that the kit included everything meant I didn't have to hunt for specialty screwdrivers.

Beyond the kit, grab these:

• A clean, well-lit workspace. Kitchen table works fine.
• A small bowl or magnetic tray for screws. You will lose one otherwise. It's a law of physics.
• About 45-60 minutes of uninterrupted time.
• A towel or anti-static mat to rest the laptop on.

Step 1: Prepare the Laptop

Shut down the MacBook completely (don't just close the lid). Unplug everything. Let it sit for a few minutes if it's been running, because you want the battery as cool as possible before handling it.

Flip it over so the bottom case faces up. Take a breath. This is the scariest part — opening it for the first time. After this, it gets easier.

Step 2: Remove the Bottom Case

Using the pentalobe screwdriver from the kit, remove the ten screws holding the bottom case on. They're not all the same length, so pay attention to which ones came from where. I laid them out on the table in the same pattern as the screw holes, which sounds fussy but saved me from guessing during reassembly.

The bottom case lifts off without much resistance. When you see the inside of your MacBook Pro for the first time, you'll probably have two reactions: "wow, that's dense" and "wow, that's dusty." Both are normal.

Step 3: Disconnect the Battery

This is the step where you want to slow down.

Before touching anything else, disconnect the battery from the logic board. There's a small connector on the battery ribbon cable; the kit's instructions will show you exactly which one. Use the spudger (the plastic prying tool) to gently lift it. Don't use a metal tool here. Don't force it.

Once the battery is disconnected, you've eliminated the risk of shorting anything while you work. It's a small step but an important one.

Step 4: Remove the Old Battery

Here's where the adhesive remover earns its keep. Apple glues the battery cells to the top case, and they are committed to that surface. The kit included adhesive remover and instructions on where to apply it. Let it soak for the recommended time (usually 5-10 minutes). Patience pays off here because trying to pry cells off dry adhesive is how you bend things you don't want to bend.

Once the adhesive softens, use the spudger to gently work each cell free. There are multiple cells, and each one needs to come up individually. Go slow. If you feel significant resistance, apply more adhesive remover and wait. The old battery isn't going anywhere useful, and there's no prize for speed.

This step took me the longest, maybe 20 minutes. That's fine.

Step 5: Install the New Battery

The new battery from the kit drops into the same position. Align it carefully, press the cells into place, and connect the ribbon cable to the logic board. You'll hear (and feel) a small click when the connector seats properly.

The instructions that came with this particular kit were, honestly, some of the best I've seen for any aftermarket part. Every step had a clear photo, and there were warnings at every point where you could make a mistake. I've seen iFixit teardowns with less clarity.

Step 6: Reassemble and Test

Put the bottom case back on, replace those ten pentalobe screws (in the right spots, which is where your layout trick pays off), and flip the laptop over.

Plug in the charger. Press the power button. If you see the Apple logo, congratulations — you just replaced your own MacBook Pro battery.

The first boot after a battery replacement might take a moment longer than usual. macOS needs to recognize the new battery and calibrate its reporting. Give it a full charge-and-drain cycle before judging the battery life numbers.

The Results

After the replacement, my MacBook Pro went from barely lasting two hours to comfortably hitting five to six hours of real use (web browsing, writing, light development work). The battery health in System Preferences showed 100%, and the "Service Recommended" warning was gone.

It felt like getting a whole new laptop for the price of a nice lunch.

I'm not going to pretend this puts it on par with a brand-new machine running Apple Silicon. But for what I actually use this laptop for, the performance was never the problem. The battery was the problem. And now the battery isn't a problem anymore.

The Bigger Picture

There's a reason Apple charges $199 or more for a battery replacement and makes it difficult to do yourself. There's also a reason the right-to-repair movement has been gaining ground, with legislation in multiple US states and the EU pushing for exactly this kind of repairability. Your laptop, your choice.

The reality is that a worn-out battery doesn't mean a worn-out laptop. A 2018 or 2019 MacBook Pro 15-inch is still a capable machine in 2026 for a huge range of tasks. Keeping it running instead of sending it to a landfill (or paying a recycler and buying new) is the kind of decision that's good for your wallet and good for the planet, and those two things don't align as often as we'd like.

One aftermarket battery, one set of instructions, one hour of your time. That's what stands between your aging MacBook Pro and another few years of solid use.

Tips From Someone Who Just Did This

• Take photos as you go. Especially of the screw layout and cable connections. Your future self will thank you during reassembly.
• Don't rush the adhesive removal. This is the step where impatience creates problems. Let the solvent do the work.
• Calibrate the new battery. Charge to 100%, then use it until it shuts down, then charge to 100% again. This helps macOS learn the battery's actual capacity.
• Check your model number first. The A1990 battery fits the 2018 and 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro specifically. Your model number is on the bottom case in small text. Different models need different batteries, and getting the wrong one is an easy mistake.
• Keep the old battery. Don't throw it in the trash. Lithium batteries need to go to an electronics recycler. Most electronics stores (Best Buy, Apple Stores) accept them for free.

Would I Do It Again?

Without hesitation. The A1990 replacement battery kit paid for itself in the first week, just in the relief of not being tethered to a charger. The instructions were genuinely excellent, the tools were included, and the whole process was less intimidating than I expected.

If you've got an older MacBook Pro gathering dust because the battery gave up, this is worth trying. The laptop you loved is still in there. It just needs a new set of cells to prove it.

Product details and pricing sourced from manufacturer listings as of March 2026 and are subject to change.